#1 Tip to Keeping This Year’s New Year’s Resolutions
Keeping resolutions is hard. While we start out motivated, by the time we’re a month or two into the year, there’s so much that can get in the way. But there’s one tip that can help make it a bit easier. A smart approach could be the difference between success and falling short. S.M.A.R.T., that is.
To have a real shot at achieving any goal we set for ourselves, we need to ensure that we are setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
SPECIFIC – Avoid general commitments like “exercise more” or “lose 5 pounds”. Choose a very specific action instead (for example walking or playing ball).
MEASURABLE – Put a number on it. Want to walk more? Commit to a minimum amount of time or number of days in the week you plan to walk.
ATTAINABLE – Make it a slam dunk! The less ambitious goals that are kept are worth way more than the ambitious ones that are not!
RELEVANT – Keep your goal relevant to what you’re trying to achieve in the long run.
TIME-BOUND – Knowing you will check up on it in a week can keep you on track!
So for example, instead of saying, I want to exercise more this year, you’d say: I am going to run (running is a specific activity) twice a week (that’s measurable) for a month (time-bound), and then re-evaluate. You may be thinking, run twice a week? That’s not what I meant when I said I want to exercise more! But remember – the best thing to do is keep our goals attainable. If we overshoot, we risk icing out early on and getting discouraged.
If you’re looking to eat healthier this year, try setting a S.M.A.R.T. goal along the lines of, I am going to replace one dessert with fruit twice a week for 6 weeks.
These goals may sound small, but once we start building on them, nothing is out of reach. Once we’ve got one down pat and have turned it into a healthy habit, we can add another day, or another change into the mix without overwhelming ourselves. Start small, win big.
If you need help setting or working toward your health goals, reach out to see how Houston Family Nutrition can help!
